Jackson Waters
Genre: Rock
Official Web Site
Jackson Waters Bibliography: (click on each album cover to view tracks and Jackson Waters lyrics)
Jackson Waters Biography Arkansas-based indie rock band Jackson Waters is not your typical college band. Though they often perform on the campus of John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR, Jackson Waters' music and lyrical prowess has taken them far above the college scene. Having performed with Christian powerhouse recording artists such as Big Daddy Weave, Bebo Norman, Thousand Foot Crutch, Superchick, Barlow Girl and countless more, Jackson Waters continues to prove that they have the talent and sheer determination to play with the big dogs of the music industry.
The band was formed almost by chance. Drummer Ryan Hawk had been searching for a way to get back into music after having left a punk band almost a year before. Discouraged almost to the point of putting his talent to rest, he finally found what he had been looking for in singer David Leonard. Impressed with his voice and songwriting, Ryan approached David about starting a rock band. The two enlisted the help of Toby Friesen to play guitar and an early version of what would soon become Jackson Waters was born.
In the beginning the trio started out as an acoustic group playing small shows around town, but they quickly realized that their music was taking a different direction. They brought bassist Craig Wilson into the mix and cranked up the rock factor in their songs. Their diverse musical background that ranged from punk to jazz and virtually everything in between led Jackson Waters to create a classic acoustic rock sound that was steeped heavily in the ideas of vintage rock.
A short time later, Jackson Waters had enough confidence and original songs to begin looking beyond the boundaries of their small college town. They recorded a three-song demo in Craig's bedroom and began shopping it around to coveted venues in Tulsa, OK and Fayetteville, AR. Soon, the band was playing almost every weekend in steady gigs in the two cities and was quickly gaining a loyal fan base.
As their reputation grew, Jackson Waters made another change to their sound. They called on Brian Meek to take over as the bassist and Craig switched over to playing the guitar. The move flushed the band out to a five-piece and added depth to their overall sound.
The band had also began playing with Christian music heavy hitters at festivals and concerts in the southeastern area. They gained fans from the members of Big Daddy Weave and Thousand Foot Crutch, who began supporting and encouraging Jackson Waters to dream bigger dreams. Jackson Waters took their words of wisdom to heart and released their first independent album, All That I Know, in late spring of 2004.
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